Sickness Missing Moments
by skyes78
Summary: This is my take on the missing parts after Katie had gotten sick.


Author's notes: This is a one-shot fanfic, and it has not gone through beta so be gentle. Just a quick thought I had while watching. I'm not one to usually do one shot fanfiction but thought I would give it a try. In my opinion these are the missing moments...

Jake had just brought Katie back in from the city where he had found her holding Mary in her arms. Mary was sick. He wanted to be angry with the little girl for being sick. However, it wasn't the child's fault at all. How could you blame a child for the madness around you?

He had tried to find Katie in the chaotic city before she was able to find Mary. Damn her for having so much love and compassion for her students. No that wasn't right either, that was one of the things he loved Katie for. The compassion and care, along with the love that she had for her students, for the other people around her. She made sure those people were taken care of way before she took care of herself and that included him. It killed him when she had told him that she couldn't save the child.

The look on Katie's face when he had finally found her tore at every fiber of his being. The look was a mixture of lost, desperation, and hurt. Katie's eyes were almost hollow. Losing her student even after trying to save her had took something out of the woman he fell in love with.

Katie took off in a run toward the shower area of the hospital that several of them were held up in. He stopped just outside the area and slid down the wall to sit as Katie turned the water on. Jake could hear her desperate motions going on behind the wall he sat against. Her scrubbing herself with the soap, the water splashing over her body, the small whimpers.

God how he wanted to be in the shower with her right at this moment. Helping her wash away the sickness he knew deep down inside his stomach that she had contracted. He knew that washing wasn't an option for this virus. This virus didn't discriminate toward anyone. It took every single person it affected. They both knew it. If Katie wanted to try and wash it away from her, then who was he to stop her.

Her whimpers tearing away at his heart and soul would be a sound he would forever hear. If someone had ever told him that you could literally hear your heart breaking, he would laugh them in the face. Sitting there now he could hear every tear in his heart. Jake couldn't hold the tears back, he tried. He tried so damn hard not to get upset. He wouldn't allow her to see him upset, he had to be strong.

He squeezed his eyes shut and brought his gloved hands to his face. He never would have imagined sitting there with Katie during their lunch date, where they both were laughing and enjoying each other's company, that it would have led to this.

Why did Ray have to try and take the kids away from their safe haven? Why did he allow Katie to leave the hospital in search of the children? She would have been safe with Quinton.

He come to realize this was his fault. Not Mary's, not the bus driver's for taking the children away from the hospital. Not the virus's fault, this was his fault for allowing Katie to leave the safe haven of the hospital. He should have insisted that she stayed where she was safe, where he could have come back to her.

He wanted Katie in his life, right beside him was where she belonged. Jake wanted to hold Katie close to him while they slept after making love in his bed. He wanted to be the best step father to Quinton, teach him to play baseball and take him to the Braves games on the weekends. Jake wanted to see smiles on their faces every single day and know that he was the reason those smiles was there. Damnit, he wanted that life and now it felt as though he was falling short of hanging on.

Katie turned the water off; he could hear every little task she was doing from where he was sitting. Jake could still hear the small whimpers that escaped her as she stripped the wet clothes from her body. He could hear the soaked material hit the floor, echoing in the tiled room. He found the strength to get composure of himself and stood up. He put the brave face on and looked toward the shower area.

Katie stood there naked, not caring that he could see every single inch of her skin. The desperation looks on her face was still there. Tears filled her eyes as she stared back at him. He grabbed the towel that was close to him and tossed it toward her. He hated that he couldn't be near her. God how he wanted to hold her.

"Dry off and wrap up, I will go and get you some clothes to put on. I will be right back... okay."

The shake of Katie's head told him she understood what he said. Her voice failing her. He didn't want to leave her standing there like a lost ship in the middle of the dark ocean.

As he walked out of the shower area through the large wooden door, he found Dr. Cannerts standing there.

"I brought Katie some comfortable clothing. Once she is dressed, she will need to go to the isolation hall and I have a room ready for her."

"Thank you" came the simple reply from Jake. He was afraid to say any more than that. He was angry that this was happening to her, to them.

"Jake for what it is worth, maybe Mary wasn't sick. She had been fine when they left here. "

Jake nodded his head. Wasn't it just a few minutes ago he was sitting against that wall praying for that outcome?

Jake took the safety mask from top of the pile of clothing and placed it securely around his face. He knew the mask was mandatory but it still felt like he was betraying Katie in some warped way. He took the clothing from the man standing in front of him.

"I'll wait here for you both and we will walk together" Dr. Cannerts words were soft showing compassion. Jake knew the way to the isolation hall, after all he walked many people there to their death.

Jake went back into the shower room to find Katie standing in the same spot she had been when he had gone to get the clothing. He looked at the clothing in his hands, the small bra laying on top of the clothing made the pain in his chest show itself front and center. Dr. Cannerts had thought of everything huh.

With the mask around his face and the gloves on his hands he walked toward Katie as she raised her head to look at him. Her eyes were filled with tears that she had yet to allow to shed.

"Do you need help?" Jake stared into those big brown orbs. It wanted to make a mental picture of them, to store in his mind.

"No, Jake stay away from me. Please" Katie's words were broken. So much emotion in those words was killing him.

God how he wished he could turn back the hands of time. Go back to their date sitting on the floor laughing.

"No, I won't Katie." Jake stood there he would not be moved from his place in front of her. He watched as she allowed the towel to drop from her body. She put the panties on and went to the bra.

"Turn around and let me help" Jake said as he watched Katie turn around allowing him to snap the two hooks to the back of her bra. He placed his gloved hand on her back. Lord don't let her be sick. He needed her in his life. He loved this woman.

He wanted to take his glove off, he wanted to feel her skin with his fingers. He wanted to give her the comfort that only skin to skin contact could offer. He had never wanted nothing in his life so bad as he wanted to take her into his arms and hold her against his body as tight as he could. He allowed his gloved hand to linger on her back for a moment longer before pulling away.

Katie finished the task of getting dressed, her hair hung over her shoulders, still wet from the shower. She looked into his blue eyes as she spoke.

"Quinton?"

"He is fine, once you're in the room I will get him."

No other words needed to be spoken as they walked out of the shower room into the hallway where Dr. Cannerts was still waiting for the couple.

Jake reached his glove hand to hold Katie's hand. She tried to pull away but he wouldn't allow it. He was protected from the virus, she wasn't. Even now she was trying to protect him from herself and the virus. She needed to be taken care of. What was it he told Jana about Katie needed taken care of too?

Walking down the halls of the hospital to the long hallway toward the room Dr. Cannerts had ready for Katie felt like walking the green mile. He knew now what that phrase meant. He squeezed Katie's hand a little harder in his own hand. He needed the comfort just as much as she needed it. He would not run.

Dr. Cannerts opened the door to the isolation room that would house Katie for at least the recommended 48hours. Jake stood outside the room against the floor to wall window. He watched as Katie was led to the bed and she sat down on the edge. She looked over at him and smiled, what else could he do but smile back at her. Offer her the reassurance she needed.

Once Dr. Cannerts left the room and shutting the door behind him, Jake stood in front of the window. Katie standing in front of him on the other side.

"Some first date huh? We don't even know if she was sick." Jake watched as Katie shook her head agreeing with him.

"Ray is as paranoid as they come, I mean I don't trust anything that guy says."

"Yeah... yeah I'm sure your right." Katie words held so much worry and emotion.

Katie's words run through Jake's mind like a wildfire. She trusted him.

"You want me to go get Quinton? You ready to see him?"

Katie nodded her head as she said "yeah".

Jake put his gloved hand to the window and watched as Katie placed her hand over top of his on the other side. His emotions were about to take over and he didn't want her to see him lose it. He was just as scared as she was.

He walked away from the isolation window and down the long hallway with a task on his mind. Go get Quinton before his emotions ran wild. He walked around the corner and had to stand there for a moment to gather his thoughts and emotions. He had both hands on his hips, trying to just breathe.

The blood curling scream that escaped Katie could be heard echoing through the tiled hospital hallway. Jake's knees instantly gave out and he hit the floor with a tattered heart. It was a domino effect. His hands out in front of him held the top half of his body off the floor completely. The tears that he had tried so hard to keep away came rushing in like an un-forecasted flood. His very soul had been ripped out and thrown on the floor as if it meant nothing.

She held herself together enough until he had walked away and he knew that she was breaking. He seen it in her eyes before walking away. The tears that filled her eyes threatened to spill at any moment's notice. She was still protecting him.

Jake crawled toward the wall of the hallway, he couldn't stand on his own, his legs betraying him. He pushed himself off the floor and placed his hand on his chest. Damn it hurt so bad. Katie's horrid scream replaying in his mind as if it was on a loop. He felt as though he couldn't breathe, his words as he spoke came out in a whisper filled with hurt and pain.

"God, please don't take her away from me and Quinton. We still need her."


End file.
